Bearing and application thereof



A ril 25, 1933. E. c. COPE ET AL 1,905,443

BEARING AND APPLICATION THEREOF Filed June 9, 1928 F'lGl- Fig-2- ERNEST CECIL'COPE 8 EDWARD KINSELLA v Inventor's By WKW Atiorneys Patented Apr. 25, 1933 [TED STATES PAT ' ERNEST CECIL COPE AND EDWARD KINSELLA, OF SPONDON, DERBY, ENGLAND;

ASSIG-NORS TO CELANESE CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE BEARING AND APPLICATION THEREOF Application filed June 9, 1928, Serial No. 284,064, and in Great Britain June 30, 1927.

This invention relates to bearings for spindles or shafts and applications thereof, and its principal aim is to provide new or improved bearings for spindles or shafts which shall enable vibration to be very efficiently damped or obviated and the spindles or shafts to be run satisfactorily at high or very high speeds.

The invention is particularly applicable for textile spindles for use in spinning, twisting, doubling, i inding, and analogous textile operations on natural or artificial fibres, filaments, threads or yarns, especially where high oi very high spindle speeds are desired, but it can also be applied with advantage to other spindles or shafts.

In many textile operations it is desirable to employ spindles rotating at high or very high speeds. As instances of textile operamethods; crepe twisting or doubling of tions in which high or very high speeds are de sirable may be mentionedhigh speed spinning, twisting or doubling of threads or yarns of artificial or natural fibres or filaments by ring and traveller, flyer, cap spindle or other threads or yarns of artificial or natural filaments or fibres wherein a high twist is required to be imparted to the threads or yarns in the doubling of same; twisting and winding artificial silk in centrifugal boxes or by other devices continuously with its production by the wet-spinning or coagulation method; winding or twisting and winding threads or yarns of artificial filaments of cellulose acetate or other cellulose derivatives continuously with the formation of the filaments by dry-spinning Or evaporative methods, for instance, twisting and winding threads or yarns of such dry spun filaments in centrifugal boxes or by fiyer, ring and traveller or other devices continuously with their production, andparticularly in capspinning (i. e. cap twisting and'winding such threads or yarns continuously with the formation of the filaments by dry-spinning or evaporative methods.

Many attempts have been made to devise forms or arrangements of bearings for textile and other spindles desired to run at very high or extremely high speeds with a view to obtaining increased output or other advantages, but these attempts have been relatively unsuccessful, owing especially to the severe lateral vibration of the spindle which is set up at the very high or extremely high speeds sought to be attained, and to the consequent heavy wear and rapid destruction of the bearings. This applies especially to textile spindles, which, as is known, are subject to variation of the imposed load during oper ation. Up to the present the highest practical speeds obtained with textile spindles for example have been about 10,000 to 12,000 revolutions per minute, and even at these speeds heavy wear and rapid deterioration of the bearings is caused by the lateral vibration set up.

The present invention provides a novel type of vibration damping bearing for textile spindles or other spindles or shafts, with the aid of which the spindles or shafts can be run practically and successfully at higher or much higher speeds than just mentioned, for example at speeds of 10,000 to 25,000 R. P. M. or more, and especially 15,000 to 20,000 E. P. M., with avoidance or great reduction of the wear and deterioration which has previously been occasioned by lateral vibration as before mentioned.

The invention is especially intended for application to spindles or shafts required or desired to run at very high speeds, such as referred to, but it will be understood that it can be applied to spindles or shafts required to run at any lower speed.

A vibration damping bearing according to the invention comprises one or' more members surrounding the spindle or shaft and sharing lateral vibration of the spindle or shaft, but not being in fixed or driving connection with it, said member or members being arranged and adapted, under the effect of the lateral vibration of the spindle or shaft, to slide transversely to the axis thereof on or between a member or members freely surrounding or located about and clear of the spindle or shaft, and thereby to damp or absorb the energy of vibration by sliding friction between the surfaces of the respective members, with or without, but

preferably with, employment of a lubricant supplied or provided between their contacting surfaces.

For convenience we will refer to the first mentioned. member or members as the spindle member or members and to the second mentioned member or members as the bearing member or members.

The spindle member or members and the bearing member or members may be of any suitable form or construction provided that they are so arranged in relation to each other and to the spindle or shaft that under the effect of lateral vibration of the spindle or shaft the spindle member or members can slide on or between the bearing member or members transversely to the axis of the spindle or shaft as mentioned.

' The vibration damping bearing may comprise any desired number of the spindle members and bearing members referred to; it may be a single pair or two or more pairs of said members; or a spindle member disposed between two bearing members; or a series of spindle members disposed alternately with bearing members; or any other arrangement such that under the action of lateral vibration of the spindle or axle the spindle member or members can slide transversely to the axis thereof on or between the bearing member or members for the purpose mentioned.

The spindle member or members, which as before mentioned are not in fixed or driving connection with the spindle or shaft, may or ma not be free to turn or slide round 011 or between the bearing member or members, and the bearing member or members may or 7 may not be capable of circumferential movement.

The bearing comprising the spindle member or members and the bearing member or members will usually be constructed or provided with a housing, casing or holder, in which the said members are contained. Preferably the bearing member or members will be a member or members separate from the housing, casing or holder. In some cases however it or they may be constituted by or form a part or parts thereof or be members fixed therein. For instance, inner face of the bottom or end of the housing, casing or holder may be formed to serve as a bearing member on which the spindle member, or the next adjacent spindle member of a series, can slide as referred to; 'or again, in the case of a series of alternate spindle members and bearing members, an intermediate bearing member or members may be formed with or fixed to and project inwardly from the wall of the housing, casing or holder so as to provide the required slide surfaces for the spindle member or members, Prefer-' ably however the bearing member or members will be separate from and mounted or disposed in the housing, casing or holder.

Oil or other lubricant is preferably provided or supplied to or between the contacting faces of the spindle members and bearing members, and the contacting faces of either or both said members may be formed with circular or other grooves or channels concentric with the spindle or shaft or otherwise arranged; such grooves or channels can serve to augment the vibration damping action by permitting a shearing action to be exerted on the oil or lubricant in them, when lateral sliding of the spindle member or members on or between the bearing member or members occurs.

The spindle member or members and/or the bearing member or members may also be perforated with holes, which can serve to maintain a flow or circulation ofthe oil or lubricant in or through the bearing; such holes may also act to some extent to augment the vibration damping action by a shearing action on the oil or lubricant in them, when lateral sliding of the spindle member or members occurs, and they may also serve to damp rotational movement between the spindle member or members and the bearing member or members. Radial, spiral, or similar grooves may also be formed in some or all of the contacting faces of the discs to dampvibration during relative turning of the discs.

The lubricant may be introduced into or supplied to the vibration damping bearing as and when required, but more particularly a continuous flow or circulation of the lubricant may be maintained in or through the bearing by forced feed or by gravity or otherwise in any suitable way. Holes or perforations such as referred to in the spindle member or members and/or the bearing member or members may serve as passages for maintaining or permitting the flow or passage of the lubricant between the spindle members and bearing members. V

The damping effect can likewise be varied by the use of a thicker or thinner lubricant, or by increasing or decreasing the number and size of the grooves and perforations in the discs. I

A continuousflow or circulation of oil or lubricant is preferably maintained through the bearings, the flow or circulation being maintained by forced feed or by gravity. According to a convenient arrangement the oil or lubricant may be supplied from a suitable source to the interior of the housings, and after passing through them may pass away to a sump or the like from which it may be returned, if desired after filtration, to the source of supply, for instance a tank. The oil or lubricant from the source of supplymay pass direct to the interior of the housings by one or more pipes or conduits, or it may pass to the interior of the housings by way of annular or other chambers or containers respectively surrounding or disposed in communication with the respective housings, and preferably capable of containing a quantity of the oil or lubricant suflicient to preserve lubrication of the bearings for some time in the event of failure of the supply or for other reason. In such a case the annular or other container appertaining to the upper bearing may if desired communicate with that appertaining to the lower hearing by an overflow and a pipe or passage discharging into the latter container. The interior of the housings themselves may however evidently be made to provide for maintaining such a reserve of oil or lubricant as mentioned, by making them of suliicient capacity so as to leave a space for the desired amount of oil or lubricant above the discs in the housings, and the said oil space of the upper housing may if desired communicate with that of the lower housing by an overflow and a connection discharging into the latter space.

A pipe from the source of supply may deliverthe oil or lubricant to the annular or other auxiliary container of the upper bearing, or direct into the housing thereof as the case may be, and a branch of the pipe may deliver the oil or lubricant to the annular or other auxiliary container of the lower bearing or direct to the housing thereof, and the oil or lubricant after passing or circulating through the bearings, may pass away to the sumpor the like by an outlet pipe leading from the annular or other auxiliary container of the lower housing or direct from the lower housing as the case may be. The perforations in the discs permit the flow or circulation of the oil or lubricant through the bearings and the lubrication of the contactingfaces of the discs.

' Instead of employing an overflow connection between the upper and lower bearings or auxiliary containers appertaining to them as before mentioned, the bottom or other part of the upper housing may communicate with the lower housing, or any other suitable communication may be provided between the housings. Or such a connection may be dispensed with and each bearinghousing be provided with a run-off pipe to the sump.

Any other arrangement or means may of course be employed for maintaining a flow of oil or lubricant through the bearings or for lubricating them.

The lubricant may be admitted to or introduced into the bearings continuously or at de sired intervals or may be placed therein as a charge and replenished when required. A continuous'fiow of oil may be employed, and such a flow of oil is particularly desirable at very high speeds.

Oil or any other suitable lubricant may be employed for the bearings. In some cases, for example when a charge of lubricant 1s mtroduced into the bearings and replenished as required a mixture of thick oil and graphite may be employed as a lubricant. An advantage of the new type of bearing of the present invention is that it can run for a con siderable period at high speeds with one charge of lubricant. At extremely high speeds a continuous flow of oil is desirable.

One or more of the spindle members and one or more of the bearing members may be employed in the vibration damping bearings as before mentioned. Said members may take the form of discs, rings, plates or other suitable members of circular, angular or other outer peripheral contour and formed with the necessary openings for the passage of the spindle or shaft around which they are disposed. The spindle member or members which have to share lateral vibration of the spindle or shaft, may be a sliding fit thereon or contact therewith, or, it may be, with a sleeve, collar or part carried or supported on the spindle or shaft, the spindle member or members being capable of sliding transversely to the axis of the spindle or shaft as referred to under the effect of lateral vibration thereof, or, it may be, of sliding both trans- Versely to and around the axis. The bearing member or members on the other hand will be mounted or arranged to leave a clearance between itself or themselves and the spindle or shaft or an interposed member carried by or supported on the spindle or shaft if such be employed. The bearing member or membersmay or may not be capable of turning relatively to the spindle and to the spindle member or members. V

In a convenient form the spindle member or members and the bearing member or members may be circular discs each having a central hole through which the spindle or shaft passes, the spindle member or members being a sliding fit on or in contact with the spindle or shaft, and the bearing member or members leaving a clearance between its or their inner periphery and the spindle or shaft, the spindle member or members and the bearing member or members being disposed in a housing or casing which may or may not be provided with aclosing cap or cover, and against the circular interior wall of which housing or casing the bearing members are a sliding fit, while a clearance is left between the outer periphery of the spindle member or members and the circular interior wall of the housing or casing, the respective discs'being preferably formed with oil or lubricant grooves or channels in their contacting faces and with perforations for the flow of lubricant as before mentioned, and the bearing may be lubricated or a flow or circulation of oil or lubricant may be maintained in or through the bearing forced feed or gravity or otherwise as before referred to.

If desired or required, spring or other pressure may be applied to increase or adjust the pressure between the contacting faces of the spindle member or members and the bearing member or members, or to hold the members in contact.

The spindle member or members and the bearing member or members may be made of any suitable metal or metals.

The spindles or shafts may of course be vertical, horizontal or inclined.

The spindle or shaft may be mounted in one, two or more vibration damping bearings of the character hereinbefore described or one or more of such bearings may be employed in association with another type or types of bearing. For instance, especially in the case of vertical textile spindles, a vibration damping bearing of the character before described may be employed for damping purposes, in association with a bearing of the self-alignment type, such for example as a bearing of a known or suitable cup and ball type for taking the load, and such a combination of bearings could assist in damping down vibrations, or precessional eifects, arising from an unbalanced load, for instance, from an unbalanced bobbin, or from a chance blow on the spindle or a bobbin or other member carried thereby.

Such combinations of bearings are included in the present invention. 7

It will be understood that the invention can be applied to textile or other spindles whether solid or hollow, and that in the case ofrtextile or like spindles they may or may not be actuated with a traversing motion, cop building motion, or any other such motion according to requirement.

cially intended for spindles or shafts desired to run at high or very high speeds such'as before referred to.

More particularly the invention includes the application of such bearings or moun V ings to spindles in the textile industry for any spinning, twisting, doubling, winding or like operations on threads or yarns of natural or artificial fibres or filaments.

The invention likewise especially includes the application of such hearings or mountings to spindles employed for twisting and winding, or winding, threads or yarns of artificial filaments continuously with their production by wet or dry-spinning methods, and particularly for twisting and winding, or winding, threads or yarns of artificial lilaments on or in connection with dry-spinning metiers or apparatus continuously with their production by evaporative or dry-spinning.

A great advantage of vibration damping bearings according to the invention is that the employment or incorporation of ball bearings in them may be dispensed with; we have foimd in fact that at very high or extremely high spindle or shaft speeds such as those for which the present invention is principally intended, ball bearings rapidly break down owing to wear and destruction of the balls.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example one form of executing the present invention, it being, of course understood that this form is given by way of illus tration and is in no way limitative.

In the form illustrated a driven spindle mounted in bearings according to the invention is made in hollow form to take a traversing rod carrying a cap or other device co-operating with the spindle to twist and wind the thread on the bobbin or other carrier mounted on the spindle.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the spindle and bearings.-

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 1 and shows a plan view of one of the discs, and

Fig. is a plan view of a modified disc. In this example, the spindle l is mounted in twovibration damping bearings, designated generally as I and II disposed at an interval apart, each bearing comprising a metal housing 2, for instance, of steel, constructed in the form of a cylindrical cup, the rotating spindle passing up through the bases 3 of the housings, with allowance of a small amount of freedom, and being provided, above'the upper housing, with a carrier or support 4. for the bobbin, tube, or other member driven by the spindle. The housings are fixed on frame members or other suitable parts of the machine or apparatus and the spindle is suitably driven, for instance by a strap pulley 5 secured on it in the space between the bearing housings. In each housing are assembled alternate metal discs respectively constituting the spindle members 6 and the bearing members 7, these discs being formed with central holes or bores and the spindle passing up through them. As shown, two bearing member discs '7 are arran ed in each housing with one spindle member disc 6 arranged between them, but

a single pair of such respective members, or'

any other number of alternate bearing member discs and spindle member discs may be arranged in each housing. The spindle member discs may appropriately be of steel and the bearing member discs of gun metal of phosphor bronze. I

V The bearing member discs 7 are a sliding fit in the housings and leave a very small clearance 8 between their bore and the spindle. On the otherhand, each spindle member disc of each bearing is given a slight clearance 9 between its outer periphery and the internal wall of the housing and is a fairly close sliding fit on the spindle with such a construction, it is evident that should there be lateral movement of the spindle due to vibration, a small lateral transverse movement of the spindle member discs on or between the bearing member discs can take'place and friction will be set up between the superimposed discs which will act to damp lateral vibration of the spindle. The housings of the bearings may be closed at the top by cover plates 10 screwed into or otherwise mounted on the housings through which the spindle passes with a small clearance, and, if desired, a washer 11 of felt or other suitable material may be fitted between the cover plate and the spindle.

Each face of each disc is formed with a number of shallow concentric grooves 12 and similar grooves 13 may be provided in the bottom inner face of each housing. In addition, each disc is perforated with a number of small holes 14. Said grooves andholes under normal conditions will be filled with oil, or lubricant contained in or supplied to the bearing. The grooves are intended to give an augmented damping effect, with the aid of a shearing action that takes place on the oil or lubricant in the grooves when lat oral or transverse movement of the spindle member discs occurs under the efiect of lateral vibration of the spindle. The holes can also produce this action to a less degree, and can also have a damping effect on rotational movement between the discs, but their chief object is to maintain a flow or circulation of the oil or lubricant through or in the hearing. It will also be seen that there is a tendency for the spindle member discs to turn or slide around on or between the bearing member discs when the spindle is rotated, and to damp vibration during this turning or sliding, radial, spiral, or similar grooves 15 are formed in some or all of the contacting faces of the discs. The cylindrical interior face of each housing may also be formed with vertical, helical, or inclined grooves 16 for the passage or flow of the oil or lubricant between it and the peripheries of the discs.

The vibration-damping effect of the bearings may be increased if desired by any suitable means, such, for example, as a light.

spring 17 inserted between the top disc and the cover plate of the respective bearings, or by using a heavier type of disc. As previously stated, the damping effect can likewise be varied by increasing or decreasing the number and size of the grooves and perforations in the discs.

An annular space 18 is left between the cover plate 10 and the uppermost bearing member disc 7 in each housing and lubrication may be effected by delivering oil from a pipe 19 to the space 18 in the upper housing. The oil passes downwards through the bearing by the holes in the discs and the channels in the housing and leaves the housing by a pipe orconduit 20 when it is delivered to the space 18 in the lower housing, finally emerging by the pipe 21 and passing to an external sump. As an alternative to such circulating system, each housing may be periodically charged with lubricant.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is y 1. A vibration-damping bearing for a shaft comprising at least one member surrounding the shaft and out of driving connection with said shaft, at least one member surrounding and clear of said shaft, means for introduc-;-

ing lubricant between said members, and an orifice in at least one surface of said members, whereby the first-mentioned member shares the lateral vibration of the shaftand slides transversely over the second-mentioned member to damp the lateral vibration by sliding friction between the surfaces of the said members, and by the resistance to shear of the lubricant in said orifice.

2. A vibration-damping bearing for a shaft comprising at least one member surrounding the shaft and out of driving connection with said shaft, at least one member surrounding and clear of said shaft, means for introducing lubricant between said members, and a groove in at least one surface of said members, whereby the first-mentioned member shares the lateralvibration of the shaft and. slides trans-- ber in the housing having a clearance around the shaft and a sliding fit in the housing, means for introducing lubricant between said members, and an orificein at least one surface of said members, whereby the firstmentioned member shares the lateral vibration of the shaft and slides transversely over the second-mentioned member to damp the lateral vibration by sliding friction between the surfaces of the said members, and by the resistance to shear of the lubricant in said orifice.

5. A vibration-damping bearing for a shaft comprising a housing surrounding said shaft, at least one member in the housing having a sliding fit round the shaft and out of driving connection therewith, the member having a clearance in the housing, at least one memher in the housing having a clearance around he shaft and a sliding fit in the housing. means for introducing lubricant between said members, and a groove in at least one surface of said members whereby the first-mentioned member shares the lateral vibration of the shaft and slides transversely over the second-mentioned member to damp the lateral vibration by sliding friction between the surfaces of the said mem: bers, and by the resistance toshear of the lubricant in said groove.

6. Avibration-damping bearing as claimed in claim 5 comprising a surface in the housing contacting with a surface of one of the said members, and a groove in the said housing surface.

7. A vibration-damping bearing for a shaft comprising a housing surrounding said shaft, at least one member in the housing closely surrounding the shaft but out of driving connection therewith, said member having a clearance in the housing, at least one member in the housing having a clearance round'the shaft and a sliding fit in the housing, perforations through at least one of said members and means for circulating lubricant through the housing whereby the first-mentioned member shares the lateral vibration of the shaft and slides transversely over the second-mentioned member, the vibration being damped by the sliding mem ber, by fluid friction between the surfaces of said members and by the resistance to'shear of the lubricant in said groove.

8. A vibration-damping bearing for a shaft comprising a housing surrounding the shaft, at least one groove in the internal wall of said housing, at least one member in the housing closely surrounding the shaft but out of driving connection therewith, said member having a clearance in the housing, at least one member in the housing having a clearance round the shaft and a sliding fit in the housing, and means for circulating lubricant through the housing whereby the first-mentioned member shares the lateral vibration of the shaft and slides transversely over the second-mentioned member, the vibration being damped by the sliding member, by fluid friction between the surfaces of said members and by the resistance to shear ofthe lubricant in said grooves.

9. A vibration-damping bearing for a shaft comprising ahousing surrounding said shaft, at least one member in the housing closely surrounding the shaft but out of driving connection therewith, said member having a clearance in the housing, at least one member in the housing having a clearance round the shaft and a sliding fit in the housing, a groove concentric with the shaft in at least one surface of said members and means for circulating lubricant through the housing whereby the first-mentioned member shares the lateral vibration of the shaft and slides transversely over the second-men- 

